A Pressing Engagement

A Pressing Engagement (2016) Anna Lee Huber

Set in Scotland in 1831

This is a short story, but you should think of it as an outtake from the novels, rather than a stand-alone story you could pick up to read if you are unfamiliar with the characters or want to see if you like the author’s writing.

As such, I think it would have been stronger if one of the mysteries had been dropped, or if the timeline had been lengthened. The number of things that happen in such a short time period is ridiculous. I get that Kiera wants to be distracted from her upcoming wedding, but to have all those things happen in the day before her wedding is unlikely. I think it also gave short shrift to Bonnie Brock’s part in the story, since his motives are far more complicated than they would seem on the surface.

I do like seeing Kiera stand up to Lord Gage, and that he reasoning for doing so is perfectly within character: she rarely stands up for herself, but she will go to great lengths for those she cares about. So standing up to his father for how it affects Gage is something she’d do.

But the story itself is a bit of a mess. I realize she wanted to get all those elements in, and that they wouldn’t necessarily fit into one of the novels, but I think those elements deserved a bit more work and time than they got.

Publisher: InterMix

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